As a parent, finding the right babysitter can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, child care apps (like SitterTree!) have made it easier than ever to find a quality babysitter or nanny. With just a few clicks, you can browse dozens of babysitter profiles. But with so many options at your fingertips, how do you identify the best babysitter for your family?
Over the years, we’ve reviewed thousands of babysitter profiles, and have zeroed in on how to identify quality sitters. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through our industry-leading review process. You’ll learn the key markers of a quality sitter and how to filter out applicants who aren’t right for you. These simple steps will save you time and give you confidence as you select your next favorite sitter.
Four steps to selecting the best babysitter
1. Don’t skip over the sitter bio
Consider your babysitter’s bio your digital first impression. Sitter bios are typically short and sweet—and that’s OK! You can glean a lot of valuable information about a sitter’s experience from just a few sentences. When reviewing a babysitter biography, ask yourself a few questions:
-
- Does the sitter bio have enough detail…and is it relevant information? What does the bio say about their child care experience? A sitter bio should outline the ages and stages of children they specialize in caring for. Compare this to the ‘Experience’ section on their profile to ensure it matches. Even if it’s a beautifully written bio, if it bio doesn’t contain valuable ‘meat’ of experience, this might not be the sitter for you.
- Does the bio show some personality? This is a chance for you to learn more about the sitter. Does their bio reference what they love about babysitting? Does it tell you about their interests or background? You should get the sense that your sitter is both fun and responsible after reading this. Remember: you’re hiring the whole person, not their resume!
- What does the sitter’s photo say about them? Their photo should be sitter professional, not a selfie or a photo with inappropriate clothing. Of course, avoid making judgements about superficial features. The sitter’s photo should show that they understand how to be professional.
- What is your gut saying? Does your sitter’s introduction come off as friendly and approachable? Does this sound like a person you’d like to have over for dinner? If not, it’s OK to move on right away. This is an important decision, and you’ll have other sitter options to choose from if anything feels off.
The bio is a great place to start filtering out sitters. If something didn’t sit particularly well, feel free to swipe right. And don’t feel bad! There are plenty of families with different needs who may be a fit for that sitter. If you’ve read through the bio and are feeling confident about your sitter—yay!—it’s time to move on to sitter badges.
2. Using sitter badges to make your selection
Sitter badges are icons on your sitter’s profile that represent specific experience or certifications. Many badges are earned through certifications from organizations you know and trust, like American Red Cross. We recommend identifying the most important sitter badges for your family, and finding a sitter with badges that match.
For example, if CPR certification is important to your family, look out for the CPR badge. If you’d prefer a sitter with special needs experience, check for the Special Needs badge. There are over 10 badges to choose from, and many sitters have a range of badges. Note: SitterTree doesn't provide training, but we do verify certifications from organizations who do for certain badges.
3. Check out the ‘Experience’ section of the babysitter profile
The Experience section is like a resume for your babysitter. It should reflect the experience they’ve already mentioned in their bio—so make sure the two match! Here you’ll find the age ranges that your sitter has worked with in the past, any relevant positions they’ve previously held (like nanny, tutor, or coach), and the maximum number of children they’ve cared for at once. You’ll also learn a little more about their sitter style through what activities they like to do with children. Plus, you’ll verify if they have reliable transportation.
Before you review the Experience section, get clear about what you need. If you need a sitter with toddler experience, don’t opt for someone who only has experience with ages 4+. If you’re looking for an experienced tutor, check to see if they’ve held that position. This process is straightforward, and can save you and potential sitters a ton of time before moving on to next steps.
4. Read reviews from other parents
OK, you’ve found a sitter with a welcoming bio, badges that fit your job, and the necessary child care experience. And it probably only took a few minutes! Congrats! Now, it’s time to gut-check your profile review with reviews from other parents.
When you toggle to the ‘Review’ tab of your sitter’s profile, you’ll see all the reviews from parents who have worked with that sitter before. Star ratings are important, but be sure to read the reviews, too! When reading reviews, pay attention to what parents are calling out. Do parents like the way the sitter engaged with their children? Were the kids begging the sitter to stay at the end of the job? Was the sitter on time and energetic? Reading reviews is another easy way to validate experience that the sitter has already mentioned. Are parents of toddlers booking a sitter who also referenced having toddler experience? Great! No one knows sitters like parents, so reading reviews will give you a boost of confidence before you hit ‘book’.
Next steps after your babysitter profile review
Sitter profiles on SitterTree were designed to give you the information you need upfront to make an informed decision about your sitter. When reviewing a profile, you can quickly look over a sitter’s bio, experiences, badges, and reviews to feel confident about booking your new sitter.
If at any point during your screening process you feel uncomfortable or uncertain, don’t hesitate to move on to another applicant. There are plenty of sitters on the app, and it’s important that you feel excited and empowered to welcome your new sitter. Not to mention, 98% of reviews on the app are 5-stars, so the right babysitter for you is likely just one more click away.
Now that you're feeling confident about selecting a quality sitter, it's time to book! SitterTree is here for all your child care needs, from last-minute date nights to recurring jobs, nannies, group jobs, and more. If you're a new user, you can get $20 off your first job today using the link below.